Apparatus for shifting the cargo boom of a ship



Nov. 30, 1965 F. J. SPRENGEL 3,220,550

APPARATUS FOR SHIFTING THE CARGO BOOM OF A SHIP Filed March 25, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. /-/E//vz Fawmw dam/wares SEE/ma Nov. 30, 1965 H. F. J. SPRENGEL 3,220,560

APPARATUS FOR SHIFTING THE CARGO BOOM OF A SHIP Filed March 23, 1964 3 hee sheet 2 I NVENTOR. firm z FIPD/NA/YO c/o/M/ws SHEA 6E1 K A F HS Nov. 30, 19 65 H. F. .1. SPRENGEL 3,220,560

APPARATUS FOR SHIFTING THE CARGO BOOM OF A SHIP Filed March 23, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 lNVENTOR HE/NZ Exam/v0 Jaw/v55 Semen M W 4x/ RNE United States Patent ()ffice 3,220,560 Patented Nov. 39, 1965 3,220,560 APPARATUS FOR SHIFTING THE CARGO BOOM OF A S Heinz Ferdinand Johannes Sprengel, Hamburg-Poppenbuttel, Germany, assignor to H. C. Stulcken Sohn, Hamburg-Steinwerder, Germany, a firm of Germany Filed Mar. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 353,684 Claims priority, application Germany, Oct. 22, 1963, St 21,217 6 Claims. (Cl. 212-3) This invention relates to an apparatus for shifting the cargo boom of a ship. It relates particularly to an apparatus for effecting the shifting or moving through between uprights of a through-swinging ships cargo boom adapted to serve both a forward and an aft hatch.

Cargo booms are known which are positioned between two uprights and whose tackles are led through appropriate guide sheaves on the cargo boom head and on the uprights in such a manner that when the cargo boom is swung through the athwartship plane of the uprights they are automatically kept clear, requiring, however, for the moving of the boom over the unstable vertical position an additional pulling maneuver which is mostly done by a tackle coming from a Winch.

A cargo boom arrangement of the foregoing kind is shown, for example, in United States Patent No. 2,914,193 issued on November 24, 1959, to J. D. Kohnenkamp et al.

It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for simplifying and speeding up the maneuver of shifting the boom through its vertical or unstable position, and thus facilitating and accelerating the change of working positions of the cargo boom from the forward to the aft hatch or vice versa.

According to this invention an electrically or hydraulically or pneumatically driven reversible motor is provided on the cargo boom at a suitable distance from the bottom pivoted mounting or gooseneck pin of the boom which brings the boom quickly over or through the unstable vertical position by counteracting against structure which is fastened to the gooseneck. More specifically, a pinion on the motor shaft or output speed reducer may make temporary engagement with a relatively stationary gear segment to effect this shifting. An arrangement of a power cylinder with a work piston is also suitable.

The nature and substance of this invention as well as its objects and advantages will be more clearly perceived and fully understood by referring to the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 represents a view in starboard side elevation of the apparatus of this invention with the cargo boom in vertical position;

FIG. 2 represents a view in rear elevation of the apparatus of this invention with the cargo boom in vertical position;

FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 represent views in starboard side elevation of the apparatus of this invention with the cargo boom respectively inclined forward, in vertical position, and inclined aft; and

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the movement of the boom through large angles between the uprights by conventional span tackles to bring it into operational position near the vertical for then accelerating its change in position for small angles about and through the vertical.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, especially to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, a swinging-through cargo boom 1 is mounted in a known manner on ships deck 2, being universally pivoted in a gooseneck bearing 3 on the deck. Specifically, gooseneck 4 is rotatable about a vertical axis in the bearing, and the boom is immediately supported in the gooseneck on ahorizontal pivot pin 8. Gooseneck bearing 3 is considered to be located between two hatches, one of them being forward of it (to the right according to FIG. 1), and the other being aft of it (to the left according to FIG. 1).

A support structure or bracket 5 is fixedly connected with gooseneck 4, and extends upwardly from it essentially parallel to the plane in which boom 1 is pivotable about the gooseneck. Along its upper edge, support structure 5 carries a gear segment 7 which is firmly fixed to it. Mounted on the cargo boom above bracket 5, the boom being more or less vertical, is a reversible drive motor 6 having a suitable speed reducing and torque increasing mechanism provided with an output pinion 9. This pinion is adapted to go into meshed engagement with gear segment 7 as boom 1 is brought up close to a vertical position between uprights 10 by suitable tackles 11 from having been included either forward or aft.

Support structure or bracket 5 may be fastened or formed on either the port or the starboard side of gooseneck 4, and is shown on the starboard side in the draw ings for purposes of example only. Reversible motor 6 is not limited to being any particular kind of a motor, but may, for example, be an electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic motor. The means of supplying power to this motor are not specifically illustrated, but may be an electric cable or a conduit for hydraulic fluid or compressed gas, as appropriate.

Referring next to FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 6, cargo boom 1 is imagined to have been inclined fairly far forward, as seen in dotted lines at the right of FIG. 6, and, in a known manner by means of span tackles 11 to have been swung upwardly and rearwardly to its position shown in FIG. 3 in which it is inclined forward only slightly. As the boom reaches its position of FIG. 3 (A of FIG. 6), pinion 9 of motor 6 comes into engagement with gear segment 7 on support structure or bracket 5. Thereafter, the motor is either automatically or manually switched on, and by means of pinion 9 and gear segment 7 the cargo boom is passed through its vertical or unstable position of FIG. 4 (B of FIG. 6), and brought into its slightly rearwardly inclined position of FIG. 5 (C of FIG. 6). Motor 6 is shut off as the boom arrives in this position.

In order to facilitate and insure engagement of the gear segment and pinion for topping the boom, the teeth at the ends of segment 7 are reduced in height and thicknes without change of the pitch. A dependable engagement and run-out of pinion 9 is insured for all positions of the boom hereby, and also by making the supporting structure or bracket 5, including gear segment 7, to be connected rigidly to the gooseneck 4.

After the cargo boom has been brought into its position shown in FIG. 5 by action of motor 6, assuming a forward-to-aft swinging motion of the boom, it may be brought further aft into operational position for the aft hatch in a known manner by means of paying out the tackles 10 from the topping winches. Because motor 6 is reversible, the illustrated apparatus also works in a similar manner in swing-through direction opposite to the one heretofore assumed; that is, it works to swing cargo boom 1 forward from its position of FIG. 5 to that shown in FIG. 3 when the boom is to be shifted from operations through the aft hatch to those through the forward hatch.

The apparatus of the present invention makes possible a shortening of the time required for the swinging-through of a cargo boom, and simplifies the operation as well, simultaneously eliminating the heretofore required auxiliary means such as wires or tackles. This operational improvement is of special significance for smaller size cargo handling equipment which is used mostly for the loading or unloading of lighter but therefore more 3 numerous loads alternatively through forward and aft hatches.

Protection by Letters Patent of this invention in all its aspects as the same are set forth in the appended claims is sought to the broadest extent that the prior art allows.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination comprising (1) a ships deck, (2) a cargo boom disposed above said deck, said cargo boom having a lower end, (3) pivot mounting means for said cargo boom disposed between the lower end thereof and said deck, said mounting means permitting rotation of said cargo boom in a vertical plane to swing through between uprights, (4) means for swinging said cargo boom about its pivot mounting means for a wide angle of swing to either side of vertical position between said uprights, and (5) auxiliary shifting means cooperative between said boom and said mounting means for moving said boom in either direction through a relatively small angle extending from one side to the opposite side of the vertical position of said boom.

2. The combination according to claim 1 in which said pivot mounting means comprises a gooseneck rotatable about a vertical axis with respect to said deck.

3. The combination according to claim 1 in which said shifting means comprises (i) a bracket extending upwardly from said pivot mounting means, (ii) a gear segment affixed to said bracket, and (iii) a reversible motor mounted on said boom, said motor having an output pinion and being so located on said boom that said pinion is brought into engagement with said gear segment when said boom is brought to a position at either limit of said small angle from a position having a greater inclination with respect to the vertical.

4. The combination according to claim 3 in which the teeth at the ends of said gear segment taper off in size whereby engagement of said pinion with said gear segment is facilitated.

5. The combination comprising (1) a ships deck, (2) a cargo boom disposed above said deck, said cargo boom having a lower end, (3) gooseneck mounting means for said cargo boom disposed between the lower end thereof and said deck, said gooseneck mounting means permitting rotation of said cango boom in a vertical plane to swing through between uprights, and itself being rotatable about a vertical axis with respect to said deck, (4) a bracket 4 rigidly fixed to said gooseneck mounting means and extending upwardly therefrom, (5) a gear segment fastened to said bracket, and extending through a relatively small angle from one side to the opposite side of the vertical position of said boom, and (6) a reversible motor mounted on said boom, said motor having an output pinion and being so located on said boom that said pinion is brought into engagement with said gear segment when said boom is brought to a position at either limit of said small angle from a position having a greater inclination with respect to the vertical.

6. The combination comprising (1) a cargo boom adapted to be mounted on a ships deck to receive lateral support in inclination from tackles extending from uprights on said deck and be swung through the vertical position to serve hatches on either side of its point of mounting, said boom having a lower end as installed, (2) gooseneck mounting means for said cargo boom pivotally affixed to the lower end thereof and adapted to be fitted to a ships deck, said gooseneck as fitted permitting rotation of said cargo boom in a vertical plane to swing through between uprights, and itself being rotatable about a vertical axis with respect to said deck, (4) a bracket rigidly fixed to said gooseneck mounting means and extending upwardly therefrom as said gooseneck is fitted to a ships deck, (5) a gear segment fastened to said bracket, and extending through a relatively small angle from one side to the opposite side'of the vertical position of said boom as said gooseneck is fitted to a ships deck, and (6) a reversible motor mounted on said boom, said motor having an output pinion and being so located on said boom that said pinion is brought into engagement with said gear segment when said boom is brought to a position at either limit of said small angle from a position having a greater inclination with respect to the vertical.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,336,394 4/1920 Super 936 1,465,787 8/1923 Broady 9-37 2,521,861 9/1950 Mathias 212144 2,914,193 11/1959 Kohnenkamp et al. 212-3 SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION COMPRISING (1) A SHIP''S DECK, (2) A CARGO BOOM DISPOSED ABOVE SAID DECK, SAID CARGO BOOM HAVING A LOWER END, (3) PIVOT MOUNTING MEANS FOR SAID CARGO BOOM DISPOSED BETWEEN THE LOWER END THEREOF AND SAID DECK, SAID MOUNTING MEANS PERMITTING ROTATION OF SAID CARGO BOOM IN A VERTICAL PLANE TO SWING THROUGH BETWEEN UPRIGHTS, (4) MEANS FOR SWINGING SAID CARGO BOOM ABOUT ITS PIVOT MOUNTING MEANS FOR A WIDE ANGLE OF SWING TO EITHER SIDE OF VERTICAL POSITION BETWEEN SAID UPRIGHTS, AND (5) AUXILIARY SHIFTING MEANS COOPERATIVE BETWEEN SAID BOOM AND SAID MOUNTING MEANS FOR MOVING SAID BOOM IN EITHER DIRECTION THROUGH A RELATIVELY SMALL ANGLE EXTENDING FROMN ONE SIDE TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE VERTICAL POSITION OF SAID BOOM. 